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23 June, 1993

Collymore signing sparks push

On this day in 1993 Forest sign Stan Collymore from Southend United.

Player legacies

Major player signing
Stan Collymore pictured in July 2008.
Stan Collymore pictured in July 2008. Image: Nicksarebi / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stan Collymore’s arrival from Southend United changed the mood around Forest’s promotion ambitions.

The signing came in June 1993, with Forest’s own on-this-day record placing the move on 23 June. After relegation from the Premier League, the club needed attacking force and momentum, and Collymore quickly became central to both.

Stan Collymore pictured in July 2008.
Stan Collymore pictured in July 2008. Image: Nicksarebi / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

His impact was immediate in football terms. Collymore finished as Forest’s top scorer in the 1993-94 promotion season, scoring 19 league goals and 25 in all competitions as the club finished second in Division One and went straight back up.

He then proved he could do it at the top level too. In 1994-95, Collymore scored 22 Premier League goals as Forest finished third and qualified for the UEFA Cup. Across his Forest spell, he scored 45 goals in 78 appearances before moving to Liverpool.

For supporters, the signing remains one of the great post-relegation turning points. In a period built around response and recovery, Collymore gave Forest the attacking spark that made promotion feel possible and then made the club dangerous again in the Premier League.

Collymore goals

Sources

Nottingham Forest official site; Southend United official site; Wikipedia cited sources

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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
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Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
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Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
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Udinese 1–0 Nottingham Forest Barcelona 1–0 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
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Nottingham Forest 0–2 Leeds
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Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
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Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
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Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
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Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
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Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Chelsea 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Manchester United
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On this day in …
1993
Collymore signing sparks push

Stan Collymore’s arrival from Southend United changed the mood around Forest’s promotion ambitions. The signing came in June 1993, with Forest’s own on-this-day record…

Player legacies